BEST BOOKSTORE (CHAIN) Minneapolis 2005 - Borders Books & Music

There's nothing quite like the homey idiosyncrasies of mom-and-pop bookshops, but there's also nothing quite like reality, in which one often wants a book--now. Borders won't have everything you're looking for, but it offers better odds than any other Twin Cities bookseller. Unlike the various Barnes & Noble locations, the Uptown Borders is stocked with bibliophilic sensibility, even though DVDs, knickknacks, and other junk have taken up more and more of the shelf space. The fiction section is particularly strong--you'll have to special-order many of your cult favorites, but most major novelists are well represented, and you can usually choose between two or three editions of canon fodder. The store also does a good job with poetry, gay and lesbian lit, reference, and kids, and has serviceable history, philosophy, and political science sections. Also, no one seems to care if you quietly browse and skim for three hours without even thinking of spending a dime.